Treating air for use in connection with the manufacture of gas.



No. 737,901. PATBNTED SEPT. 1, 1903.

J. A. BOWER. TREATING AIRAFOR USB IN CONNEGTION WITH THB MANUPAGTURB 0F GAS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30. 1902.

No. 737,901. I PATENTBD SEPT. l, 1903..

J. A. BGWER.

TREATING 4AIR FOR USB IN CONNECTION WITH THE MANUFACTURE 0F GAS.

. APPLIGATION FILED AUG. ao. 1902. 115mm.. 4 s SHEETS-snm z.

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J., A. BOWER. TREATING `AIR POR USE IN. CONNECTION WITH THB f y F l l Ill. p i lili...1 L nl l l l l s n L l l .f: N1 .i J v 4 J/Uz a2". 5071/67 No. 737,901. PTENTBD SEPT. 1, 1903.

J. A. BOWER.

TREATING AIRIOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH THE MANUFAGTURB 0I' GAS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. a0'. 1902. No MODEL. s SHEETS-s321111 4.

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No. 737,901. PATBNTED sEPT.1,-19o3.

J. A. BQWER.

TREATING AIR POR USE IN CONNECTION WITH THE MANUFAGTURB OP GAS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30. 1902.

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UNITED STATES PatentedSeptember 1, 1903.

PATENT OEEicE.

JOHN A. BOT/VER, OF VVAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PRACTICAL GAS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- 'rioN en ILLINOIS.

TREATING AIR FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,901, dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed August 30, 1902. Serial No. 121,64031. (No specimens To [1J/Z whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. BOWER, a citizen of the United States, residing at TVaukegan, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain neT and useful Improvements in Treating Air for Use in Connection with the Manufacture of Gas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in treating air for use in connection with the manufacture of gas.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of the various features which combine to illustrate my invention,With certain parts shown in cross-section.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a portion of the ap- I parat'us with parts shown in section and parts 5, G, and '7 are details of the regulator.

broken away. Fig. 3 isa part section and part elevation view of the aerometer and aircondenser with parts broken away. Figs. a, Fig. 8 is a detail of the injector. Fig. 9 is a detail end view oi' the exterior oil-storage tank and connections.

I have shown the entire apparatus for the manufacture of gas, although so much as relates to the handling of the oil or the carbureting and distribution of the gas is made the subject-matter of a separate application.

Like parts are indicated by the same letter in all the figures.

A represents the inclosing Wall of the building, A A the foundations thereof,y and A2 the floor.

B is a gas-engine. Any other kind of engine could be substituted.

B is an air pump or compressor driven by the gas-engine.

B2 is a pipe leading thence to the storagetank B3. This pipe is controlled by the valve Bl. The storage-tank is provided With a pressure-gage B is a manhole-cover. B7 is a pipe which opens from Within said tank and near the bottom thereof and is controlled by the valve I3S and by the valve B. The pipe B7 proceeds from the last-named valve and finally terminates in the injector, the parts of Which I Will now describe.

C isa check-valve with a free opening from Without connected With the elbow C', which is connected vyith the nipple C2, which is connected With the 'casing C3 of the injector. This casing presents free passage-Ways discharging through the opening C", and the 135 pipe B7 opens into the chamber C5 Within the casing C3, and from the chamber Ci leads the opening CG, which discharges into the opening C4. Thus these parts operate as an injector, for if air under a high pressure from 6o the storage-tank be admitted into the chamber C5 it will discharge through the opening C6 into the opening C1, and if the check-valve C has a free opening' to the air by such action of the compressed air atmospheric air will be 6 5 drawn through such check-valve and its connections and through the casing C3 into and through the opening C1. The opening C4 is formed Within the tube-like part C7, which discharges into the nipple C8, which is at- 7o tached to the top of the condenser D. This condenser is preferably in the shape of a cylinder, With top and bottom, and suitably supported on the ioor of the building. It contains a number of inclined diaphragms D D', 75 which overlap at their inner ends and are provided with drip-holes D2 D2 near the Wall of the condenser.

In the bottom of the condenser is a dripvalve D3, whence leads the pipe D4 to a cis- 8o tern or discharge-point. I'have shown Within the condenser a quantity of Water D5, with a layer of oil on top of the same, (indicated by the letterD.) This oil is intended as a seal to prevent the reabsorption oi' the water in 85 the bottom of the condenser by the air passing therethrough. The Water, is derived from the condensing operation incident to the expansion of the compressed air Within the condenser in the presence of the atmospheric air. 9o The drip-valve is intended to draw off the Water, but not the oil, and the operator Will so arrange the parts that the instant any oil begins to iioW he will know that he has sufficiently reduced the quantity of Water and 95 will then discontinue the draining. Upwardly opening within the condenser D is the receiving end of the pipe D7, which leads into and opens near the upper end of the aerometer, which I Will noW describe.

. Bf toward the point of opening.

The aerometer consists of an external upwardly opening cylinder E, in which is disposed the downwardly-opening cylindrical bell E. This bell is provided with a central tube, adapted to slide vertically on the rod E2. It is provided at its upper end with the receptacle E2, in which any desired amount of weight may be placed to determine the pressure within the aerometer. A pipe E1 opens from within the upper end of the aerometer and leads thence to the carbureter. The two pipes in the aerometer may be of substantially the same length and reach to the same height. The aerometer, for the reasons hereinafter set out, commonly contains a quantity of water E5, and on the top of this water I maintain an oil iilm E6, which serves as a seal to prevent the reabsorption of such water by the air in the upperu part of the aerometer. I provide below a drip-valve E7, connected with the pipe E3, which leads to a cistern or discharge.

I will now describe the regulator, which is operated by the aerometer to control the supply of compressed air. Extending outwardly from the bell is the arm F, which is provided with an eye to encircle the rod F and which has two spiral springs F1 and F5, one above the arm and one below the arm and both encircling the rod. On the rod are the somewhat widely-separated stops F2 and F3. The upper end of the rod is guided in the sleeve F, and the lower end is guided in the bearing F7, secured to the outer cylinder 'E of the aerometer. The lower end of the rod is provided with the rack F2, which ymeshes with the pinion F9, mounted so as to rotate on the shaft F11), which shaft is, in fact, the controlling-stem of the valve B2. On one side of the pinion is the pin F11, from which depends the weight F12, and on the other side of the pinion are the two lugs F12 and F11, which project outwardly into the path of a lug F15 on the drum-like part F16, which is rigid on the shaft F10 and which carries rigid with itself the weighted arm F17.

F18 and F19 are outwardlyprojecting arms 'or brackets secured to the cylinder E and carrying each a spring-stop F20 in the path of the weighted arm F17. The bearing for the rod F/ is connected with the arm F18. The parts, as shown in Fig. 4E, are in the position which they assume when the aerometer is full and the supply of air is cut off. If now the air in the aerometer be used, the quantity will gradually diminish, and the bell will begin to descend, carrying with it the rack F2, and thus rotating the pinion. The engagement of the lug F14 with the lug F15 will gradually rotate the shaft F10, thus bringing the valve V'hen the shaft F10, and thus open the valve.

same time the point of engagement between the weight and the pinion will have passed to the right of the vertical, and the pinion will be by the action of the weight jerked around until the parts are in the positions indicated in Fig. 6, and here they will remain until the supply of air entering causes the bell of the aerometer to begin to rise. This will rotate the pinion in the opposite direction until the parts have assumed the position shown in Fig. 7, whereupon the action of the weight, whose point of engagement with the pinion is now to the left of the vertical, will cause the parts to rotate toward the left until the weighted arm is slightly to the left of the vertical, and this action will complete the preparation for closing the valve. The weighted arm F17 now drops back to the position shown in Fig. et, where the valve is closed. Thus the acronieter is made self-regulating by the control which it exercises over its supply of air through this regulator.

The pipe E1 leads to the carbureter, which I will now describe.

I have described the carbureter and associated devices somewhat fully, so as to make the purpose and object of the air-treating mechanisms and their relations to the carbureting devices clea1',thou gh the carburetin g proper is made the subject-matter of a separate application.

G is the carbureter, which I have shownin a cylindrical form. I do not here show the interior construction of the carbureter, as of course any desired form of carbureter can be employed. The pipe E1 preferably opens in the bottom of the carbureter.

Gl is an auXiliarytank connected at G2 and G3 with the carbureter G and provided with a float G1 on the end of the rod GG indicates a quantity of oil or like substance within the carbureter and its auxiliary tank.

The oil-supply devices consist of an oil-storage tank, consisting of connecting-pipes and pump and a gravity-tank.

J is the oil-storage tank, preferably located away from the main buildings and possibly under ground. It is provided with a fillingopening J From this tank, and preferably opening from the bottom thereof, leads the supply-pipe J2, which pipe is provided withv two extensions J 3, containing a valve J 5, and J1, containing a valve J 6. Beyond these two valves the two extensions are connected by the cross-pipe J 7, between the two members of which is placed the pump J s. The extension J1 continues beyond the cross-pipe and opens into the carbureter G and is controlled by the valve J 9. The extension J 3 continues beyond the valve J5 and opens into the pipe J4 beyond the valve J f and is controlled by the valve J11. The cross-pipe JT leads from its junction with the pipe J3 to the gravity-tank J 11. It is controlled by the valve J12. By this construction it is possible, by a proper manipulation of the valves, to perform the IIO following functions: first, to pump oil from the tank through the pipe J", cross-pipe J 7, pump JS, pipe J3 to pipe J 1, and thence to carbureter; second, to pump oil from the oil-supply tank through pipe J, cross-pipe J 7, and extension thereof to the gravity-tank, and, third, to pump oil from the carbureter through pipe J '1, the pipe JT, pipe J 3, and pipe J2 back to the storage-tank. From the carbureter G leads the pipe K to the drier K', which is preferably composed of the cylindrical shell and, when preferred, diaphragm K2 and a drying material above the diaphragm K3. From this drier leads the pipe Kl to the distributingmains.

It will be understood, of course, that I have shown various parts and features here which might be greatly changed and altered without departing from the spirit of my invention. I have not attempted to describe in the minutest detail the different connections and adjustments, because they are subject to so much modification and are so readily understood by those skilled in the art. I have endeavored in my drawings to furnish, as it were, a diagrammatic representation of my invention and wish the drawings to be so taken and understood.

The use and operation of my -invention are as follows: Any desired form of engine may be used to drive any desired form of compressor for the purpose of filling the air-storage tank, which should be filled with air under a high pressure. Of course the pressure will vary according to the requirements of each particular case. The air from this compressor is to be carried over into the carbureter; but it is iirst to be introduced into the aerometer, whereby the desired and uniform pressure is obtained and whereby the supply of air is controlled. This air also is, so far as possible, to be dried or freed from moisture. At the same time it is desirable to introduce into the carbureter along with the compressed air the largest possible quantity of atmospheric air to avoid the expense which is otherwise involved in compressing so large a quantity of air; but the atmospheric air is heavily charged with moisture, and therefore it is desirable to discharge the moisture from the same. I propose to introduce atmospheric air through an injector-like apparatus operated by the compressed air from the air-storage tank. Obviously, as soon as the atmospheric air and compressed air are passed through such injector the compressed air eX- pands, with the result of depositing or tending to deposit its moisture and with the further result of depositing or condensing the moisture in the atmospheric air. I may now dispose of such water either in a condenser, such as I have shown, or in the aerometer, where it is added to the water therein to form the usualwater seal. The condenserwhichI employ is provided with a series of overlapping diaphragms, which thus cause the air to pass through such condenser in a circuitous passage. The moisture of the atmosphericair and of the compressed air is condensed and deposited upon these diaphragms and runs back to the wall of such condenser and then drips through the openings down into the bottom of the condenser. Here it is drained away; but in order to prevent it from being reabsorbed by the air passing through the condenser I provide the oil seal on top of the water, which oil seal rises above the passage or drip-opening' in the bottom of the condenser. The air, thus more or less freed from its moisture, passes up into the top of the aerometer, where stillmore of the water of condensation is discharged, and here again it drips through the oil seal and is thereafter prevented from being reabsorbed. rlhe condenser might be dispensed with and the injector might lead directly to the aerometer, the whole of the water of condensation being thereafter deposited in the aerometer. Any excess of water in the aerometer may be drawn off from below. When the supply of compressed air ceases to flow into the injector, the check-valve in the passage-way leading to the atmospheric air closes. The regulator for the supply of compressed air is operated by the bell of the aerometer. As it rises it operates the weights to close the valve when it has reached the limit of its upward excursion, and in a similar way it also operates the weights to open the valve when the bell has reached the downward limit of its excursion. The carbureter is provided with a pipe which supplies it with air from the aerometer. It is also provided with a pipe by which oil canin certain cases,wl1en desired,be directly forced into it from the storage-tank.

I claim- 1. In a machine for manufacturing gas the combination of an aerometer and pipe for the supply of air thereto and a regulator controlling said pipe and controlled by the movement of the bell of the aerometer, said regulator containing two weights which successively act upon the regulator-valve of the airsupply pipe.

2. In a machine for manufacturing gas the combination of an aerometer and pipe for the supply of air theretoand a regulator controlling said pipe and controlled by the movement of the bell of the aerometer, said regulator containing a rack associated with the bell and a pinion associated with the valvestem of the regulator.

3. A In a machine for manufacturing gas the combination of an aerometer and pipe for the supply of air thereto and a regulator controlling said pipe and controlled by the movement of the bell of the aerometer, said regulator containing a rack associated with the bell and a pinion associated with the valvestem of the regulator and two weights, one associated directly with the pinion and the other directly with the valve-stem.

Il. In a machine for manufacturing gas the combination of an aerometer' and pipe for the IOO IIO

inglugs whereby the Weight associated with the pinion cooperates With the Weight asso- Io ciated with the valve-stein of the regulator.

JOHN A. B OVER.

W'itnesses:

HOMER L. KRAFT, FANNY B. FAY. 

